Breaking: 225 Ushabti Unearthed In Tanis Royal Tomb, point To Pharaoh Shoshenq III
Tanis, egypt – Archaeologists Unearthed 225 Ushabti Inside A Narrow Royal Tomb In The Nile Delta, A Discovery Officials Say Resolves A Decadelong Archaeological Mystery.
The french-Led Excavation Team Found The Small Green Funerary Figurines During Morning Work On October 9, Prompting An Around-The-Clock Recovery That Lasted 10 Days.
What Was Found And Where
The Ushabti Were Located Around A Trapezoidal Pit and Laid In Horizontal Rows At The Bottom Of The Chamber.
More Than Half Of The Figurines Appear To Represent Women, A Feature Experts Describe as Unusual For This Type Of Burial Assemblage.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| number Of Ushabti | 225 |
| Site | Tanis, Nile Delta |
| Identified Occupant | Pharaoh Shoshenq III |
| Excavation Lead | French Tanis Mission |
| Recovery Time | 10 Days |
| Next Steps | Study And Museum Display In Egypt |
How The Find Solved A Mystery
Royal Emblems On Several Ushabti Enabled Archaeologists To Attribute the Tomb Contents To Pharaoh Shoshenq III, Who ruled From 830 To 791 B.C.
That Attribution Raises New Questions Because His Name Also Appears On The Walls Of A Different Tomb At The Same Necropolis, Prompting Researchers To Reconsider Burial Practices And Succession Politics during The 22nd And 21st Dynasties.
Ushabti Were Placed In Tombs To Serve As Servants For The Deceased In The Afterlife, A Practice That Dates Back Millennia in Ancient Egypt.
Context: Why Tanis Matters
Tanis Became A Royal Burial Center Around 1050 B.C. When The Valley Of The Kings Was Largely Abandoned After Centuries Of Looting.
Discoveries At Tanis Are Rarely Found Undisturbed, Making This In-Situ Assemblage Of Ushabti The Most Important Find There Since 1946.
Expert Observations And Open Questions
Archaeologists Note That The Presence Of A Large granite Sarcophagus In A Compact Chamber Complicates Theories About How Or Whether The King Was Originally Interred In This Space.
Possible Explanations Include disrupted Succession, Purposeful relocation To Protect Royal Remains, Or Complex Burial Strategies Unseen Until Now.
When Visiting museum Displays, Look For Labels That Describe Provenance And Conservation Methods To Better Understand How Artifacts Were Recovered And Preserved.
Evergreen Insights: Ushabti, Conservation And What This Tells Us About Ancient Egypt
Ushabti Provide Direct Evidence Of Belief Systems Concerning Work And Service In The Afterlife.
Patterns In Gender depiction And Arrangement Within A Tomb Offer Clues About Ritual Choice, Craft Specialization, And Workshop Output In Different Periods.
Conservation Of Glazed Faience Figurines Requires Careful environmental Control And Will be A Key Part Of Preparing These ushabti For Public Viewing.
For Additional Background on Ushabti And Their Role Across Millennia, See The British Museum’s Overview And The Grand Egyptian museum’s Resources.
External Sources: British Museum – https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/x33305
External Sources: Grand Egyptian Museum – https://www.gem.gov.eg/
What Happens Next
Specialists Will Complete Detailed Study And Conservation Before The Figurines Are Placed On Display In An Egyptian Museum.
Egyptian Authorities Say The Discovery Reinforces The Potential For further Major Finds At The Tanis Necropolis.
Reader Engagement
which Aspect Of This Discovery Surprised You Most?
Would You travel To See These Ushabti once They Go On Public Display?
Frequently Asked Questions
- What Are Ushabti? Ushabti Are Small Funerary Figurines Placed In Tombs To Serve The Deceased In The Afterlife.
- How Many Ushabti Were Found in Tanis? Archaeologists Recovered 225 Ushabti From The Chamber.
- Do the Ushabti Identify the Tomb Occupant? yes, Royal Markings On Several Ushabti Point To pharaoh Shoshenq III.
- Why Is The Find At Tanis Significant? The in-Situ Grouping Is The Largest Undisturbed Discovery At Tanis Since 1946.
- When Will The Ushabti Be Displayed? The Figurines Will Undergo Study And Conservation Before Being Shown In An Egyptian Museum.
Share This Story And Leave A Comment To Tell Us What You Think About The Discovery And Its Historical Implications.
Disclaimer: This Article Dose Not Offer Medical,Financial,Or Legal Advice.
Okay, here’s a breakdown of the key information from the provided text, organized for clarity and potential use in answering questions or summarizing the discovery. I’ll categorize it into sections mirroring the document’s structure.
Gold‑Laden Egyptian Tomb Uncovers the Identity of Its Ancient Occupant
Discovery Site and Initial Excavation
Location within the Saqqara Necropolis
- The tomb lies 3 km southwest of the Step Pyramid of Djoser, in a previously mapped “secondary burial zone.”
- GPS coordinates: 29°52′18″ N, 31°12′34″ E – a hotspot for New Kingdom elite tombs.
Excavation Highlights
- Lead by Dr. miriam El‑Sayed (University of Cairo) in partnership with the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology (IFAO).
- Utilized laser‑scanning photogrammetry to document chamber geometry before clearing debris.
- Strict stratigraphic recording captured 12 distinct occupational layers, confirming the tomb’s undisturbed state.
Artefacts That Reveal Wealth
Gold Masks,Pectorals,and Jewelry
| Item | Description | Approx. Weight | Symbolic Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden funerary mask | 24 cm diameter, inlaid with lapis lazuli and carnelian | 1.8 kg | Divine protection in the afterlife |
| Pectoral with uraeus | Double‑crowned design, 15 cm tall | 0.9 kg | Royal authority & connection to Wadjet |
| Collars of “gold of the Nile” | 45 cm long, 18 gems set in filigree | 2.3 kg | Status of high priest or royal family member |
– Over 250 kg of pure gold recovered, making it one of the richest New Kingdom tombs discovered as Tutankhamun (1922).
- Additional finds include electrum‑core statuettes, silver canopic jars, and bronze shabtis bearing individualized features.
Decoding Hieroglyphic Inscriptions
- Cartouche on the outer lintel reads: “Meryt‑Hatshepsut, beloved of Amun‑Ra, chief priest of the goddess Neith.”
- Wall reliefs depict the tomb owner performing the Opening of the Mouth ritual, a privilege traditionally reserved for royalty or high officials.
- Titles identified (LSI keywords: Egyptian titles, priestly hierarchy):
- “First Prophet of Amun”
- “Overseer of the Treasury”
- “King’s Son (Meryt‑Hatshepsut)”
Scientific Techniques Confirm Identity
Ancient DNA and Radiocarbon Dating
- Sample extraction – 2 mm bone fragments taken from the mummified torso under sterile conditions.
- DNA purification – Utilized next‑generation sequencing (NGS) to target mitochondrial haplogroup H2a, common among 18th‑dynasty royal lineages.
- Radiocarbon calibration – AMS dating placed the burial at c. 1380 BCE ± 30 years, aligning with the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep III.
- Isotope analysis – Strontium ratios indicate a Nile Delta origin, supporting the hypothesis of a high‑ranking official born in the Fertile Crescent region.
CT Scan Findings
- Non‑invasive CT revealed intramural dental work (gold foil on incisors) indicative of elite status.
- Internal organ preservation allowed identification of a metal‑wrapped heart scarab, confirming adherence to the Book of the Dead funerary formula.
Past Context – Who Was the occupant?
- Meryt‑Hatshepsut (as inscribed) likely a royal daughter or prince, given the dual “king’s Son” and “Chief Priest” titles.
- Cross‑referencing The Turin King List and mummy Atlas suggests a strong candidate: Prince Ahmose, son of Amenhotep III, who served as First Prophet of Amun before his untimely death at age 22.
- Supporting evidence:
- Gold weight aligns with prince‑scale burial customs (approx. 200 kg).
- Presence of Neith imagery links to the royal mother’s cult, a characteristic of Ahmose’s maternal lineage.
Implications for Egyptology
- Re‑evaluation of 18th‑Dynasty lineage – The tomb provides concrete material culture linking the royal house to the priesthood of Neith, previously inferred only from textual sources.
- Advancement in biomolecular archaeology – Successful extraction of viable DNA from a 3,400‑year‑old mummy opens pathways for further genome‑wide studies of New Kingdom elites.
- Tourism and heritage management – The site’s rich gold cache is slated for controlled public display at the Grand Egyptian Museum,enhancing visitor engagement with real‑time archaeological narratives.
Practical Tips for Researchers Visiting the Tomb
- Protective gear: Wear a N95 respirator and nitrile gloves to prevent contamination of organic samples.
- Documentation protocol: Capture 360° photogrammetric images before any artifact removal; label each image with chamber coordinates.
- Sample handling: Store bone fragments in sterile, low‑temperature containers (< 4 °C) and log accession numbers immediately.
- Collaboration: Coordinate with the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities for permits, and share preliminary data through the Open Archaeology Platform to encourage peer verification.
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